Psychological Symptoms

Hunger

There are many reasons you might crave more food when you first quit smoking. For years, Nicotine has been acting as a stimulant on our bodies causing the release of stored calories into our bloodstream giving us a temporary feeling of being satisfied and well fed. Suddenly removing this from your daily life will cause drops in blood sugar and you will naturally crave food more often. You might also crave food since you are used to stimulating your mouth and lips. Sometimes smokers need to keep gum or hard candy handy in order to help stave off cravings and keep their mouth occupied. Whatever the reason is, hunger or increased appetite will be a result of quitting smoking.

Concerns about weight gain

Many people worry that when they quit smoking they will experience weight because they eat more. This is natural and some weight gain is extremely common however this should not be a deterrent to quitting smoking. The effects of a few pounds (even ten to twenty) of weight gain on your health will pale in comparison to the damage years of smoking will cause. Of course, severe weight gain should be avoided and if this should occur you should consult your physician. If you really are worried about gaining weight, there are many foods you can eat on a regular basis that will minimize the amount of weight you gain such as vegetables, sugar free candies, and protein rich food that’s low in carbohydrates.